Feed for receptacles



(No Model.)

S WALES FEED FOR RBGBPTAGLES.

No'. 547,976. Patentd Got. 15'. v1895.

llll Ail Nitti-3D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIGOURNEY WALES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FEED FOR RECEPTACLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 547,976, dated October15, 1895.

Application iled October 22, 1894:.y

To all. whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, SIGOURNEY WALES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful automatic feed for receptacles of liquidblackin g and other liquids that may be distributed by means of a spongeor other suitable absorbent placed at the outside of the receptacle, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved feeding device for liquid blackingand other duids of that class in which small quantities of the fluid arefed as required to a sponge or other absorbent body, through the mediumof which the blacking or other Huid is utilized, the object of myinvention being to produce a simple, reliable, and convenient feedingdeviceV of the character described.

With these ends in View my invention consists in a feeding device havingcertain details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a broken view in verticalcentral section of one form which a feeding device constructed inaccordance with my invention may assume, the said device being appliedto a bottle, which is shown in an inverted position. Fig. 2 is adetached perspective view of the sheet-metal retaining-cap which isapplied to the neck of the bottle. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective viewof the elastic sponge-supporter, a portion of which is broken away. Fig.4 is'a detached perspective view of the packingwasher. Fig. 5 is asimilar view of the valvecasing. form thereof. Fig. 7 is a detachedperspective view of the valve and the coupling-tube thereof. Fig. 8 is adetached view of the valverod. Fig. 9 is a broken perspective View ofthe valve beforeV its central hub is perforated for the valve-rod, andFig. 10 is a similar view of the completed valve.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown I employ what I shall calla sponge-v This consists of a disk-shaped supporter.

body D, having a central opening, a cylindrical neck E, projecting fromthe center of the outer face of the body in line with the openingtherein, and a flaring or bell-shaped mouth, which is virtually anenlarged continuation Fig. (3 is a similar view of a modifieddependentlyof the valve.

Serial No. 526,611.05@ (No model.)

,of the neck. Upon the inner face of the body D of the said part I forman annular rib F, which 4constitutes a valve-seat.

A As th us constructed the sponge-supporter has a central passagethroughout its length. By preference I make its several parts orfeatures integral with each other, as shown. By preference,

-also, I shall form it of rubber, though this is vnot essential.

I deem it desirable, however, that-its flaring mouth shall be elasticand yielding, so that it will push back under pressure upon its edge.Over the outer edge of the flaring mouth of the sponge-supporter I,locate a sponge W or a body of some equivalent absorbent material.Although not crowded into the said mouth so as to fill the same, thesponge is applied to the edge thereof ,in such a manner as to edectuallyclose it.

The sponge, as shown, is retained invsuch position by means of thevalve-rod P, which, as represented, consists of a piece of Wire bentmidway of its length to form a loop and two prongs of correspondinglength. As shown through the sponge, and this end of the valverodnormally projects beyond the edge of the daring mouth of thesponge-supporter, while its prongs extend inward through the central-passage thereof and engage at their inner ends With the closed innerend of a coupling-tube N, the open outer end of which is sleevedover andsecured to a hub S, formed in the center of the cup-shaped valve M,which rests upon the valve-Seat formed by the annular rib F, be-

`in Fig. 1, the loop of the valve-rod is passed v fore mentioned. Ofcourse the sponge might be secured to the rod in some other way thanthat shown in the said figure. The valve-rod, it should bestated,haslongitudinal movement independent of the sponge-supporter and operateswhen thrust inward by pressure upon its projecting outer end to lift thevalve from its seat. The prongs of the rod pass through an opening V,formed in the hubS of the valve, and also through lateral slots T,leading out of the said opening,V whereby the valve-rod is preventedfrom being rotatedin- The friction developed between the prongs and thesaid hub of the valve is sufficient to retain the valverod againstoutward displacement in the ordinary usage of the device, but permitsthe rod to be readily withdrawn from the device IOO for the renewal ofthe sponge or for any other purpose. It will be understood that the rodwill be gaged in length according to the extent to which it is designedthat it shall lift the valve. In Fig. 9 the valve is shown after it ispartly developed and before its hub is provided with the openings V andT for the inward passage of the valve-rod. The closed inner end of thecoupling-tube N plays back and forth in an opening O, formed in theinner end of a cylindrical valve-casing G, the open outer end of whichcontains the Valve M. A spiral spring L, located within this chamber andencircling the tube N, exerts a constant effort to maintain the valveupon its seat. The extreme outer end of the valvecasing Gis providedwith an outwardly-turned flange I, which, when the device is assembled,is interposed between the inner face of the body D of thesponge-supporter and the outer face of a packing-washer H, the innerface of which rests upon the flat edge of the bottle or receptacle, Acontaining the fluid to be fed. A sheet-metal cap B is employed tosecure the other parts of the device to the bottle, the flange of thecap being thereto screw-threaded to adapt it to lit over threads formedupon the neck of the bottle, while the outer portion of the cap isadapted to fit over the body of the sponge-supporter and provided with acylindrical hub C, adapted in diameter to embrace and support the neck Ethereof. When the cap is turned down into position, the edge of theinner face of the body D of the spongesupporter will be pressed firmlyagainst the outer edge of the outer face of the washer, the outer edgeof the inner face whereof will be forced against the fiat edge of theneck of the bottle, from which none of the Huid can escape except as thevalve is lifted. As shown in Fig. 5, the valvecasing is represented asbeing drawninto the required form from a suitable blank in the samemanner that the shells of metallic cartridges are drawn. After being sodrawn long ports K are formed in it to permit the liquid to flow fromthe bottle into it. In the modified construction shown in Fig. 6, thevalve-casing is represented as having been struck up from a sheet-metalblank shaped to form two large triangular openings K', only one of whichis shown.

For the operation of the feeding device the bottle is inverted and thesponge or absorbent body W pressed against the surface to which theliquid is to be supplied with suiicient force to cause the valve-rod tobe moved inward, and thus through the medium of the coupling-tube tolift the valve against the tension of its spring above its seat, afterwhich theliquid inthe bottle will liow through the valve-easing andthrough the sponge-supporter into the unoccupied space in the flaringmouth thereof, from which it will be absorbed by the sponge anddistributed thereby. In using the device suiiicient pressure is imposedupon the sponge to cause the daring mouth of the sponge-supporter,which, it is to be remembered, is made of rubber or other elasticmaterial, to break down and fold or push back, so that the air which itcontains will be compressed and forced into thebottle to take the placeofthe fluid withdrawn therefrom, whereby the ready feeding of the fluidis insured. If the valve is lifted several times in succession andfaster than theliquid is distributed by the sponge, the excessof fedliquid will be collected in the flaring mouth of the sponge-supporterand there retained. In case the mouth of the sponge-supporter should belled in this way the further feeding of liquid will be prevented,because there would in that ease be no air in the sponge-supporter to becompressed and force'd into the bottle, and, of course, Without forcingair into the bottle to take the place of the liquid withdrawn therefrom,the feeding of the liquid must stop.

It is apparent that in carrying out my invention some changes in theconstruction herein shown and described may be made, and I wouldtherefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exactform represented, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes asfairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecu re by Letters Patent, is-

1. In afeedingdevice for blackingand other liquids, a hollowsponge'supporter and adapted to project beyond the neck of the bottle towhich the device is applied havingayiclding mouth, to the edge of whicha sponge or absorbent body is applied, substantially as described, andwhereby the said mouth yields under pressure upon its edge.

2. In a feeding device for blackiugand other liquids, a sponge-supporterhaving a diskshaped body, a neck projecting from the outer face of thesaid body, and a yielding flaring mouth joining on to the outerend ofthe said neck substantially as described, and whereby the said mouthyields inwardly, and under pressure upon its outer edge.

3. In afeeding device for blacking and other liquids, a hollowspongesupporter having a flat disk-shaped body, a yielding mouthprojeeting fiiom the outer face thereof, and an annular valve seatconsisting of a rib located upon the inner face of the said body,substantially as described.

4. In a feedingdevice for blacking and Other liquids, a sponge-supporterhaving a diskshaped body, a yielding haring mouth projecting from theouter face thereof, and a valve-seat formed upon its inner face, thesaid members being formed of rubber or equivalent material, and integralwith each other, substantially as described.

5. Inafeedingdeviceforblackingandother liquids, a sponge-supporterhavinga yielding mouth, avalve-rod projecting at its outer end beyondthe said supporter, and movable inde- IOC pendently thereof, a valveconnected with the inner end of the rod, and a sponge or equivalentabsorbent body applied to the yielding mouth 'of the sponge su pporter,substantially as described.

6. Inafeeding device forblacking and other liquids, having aspongesupporter, a valverod passing through the same and movableindependently thereof, a cup-shaped valve connected with the inner` endof the said rod, a cylindrical valve-casing for the valve and a spongeor equivalent absorbent body attached to the outer end of the valverod,and resting against the edge of the said spongesupporter, substantiallyas described.

7. In afeeding deviceforblackingand other liquids, the combination witha spongesupporter, of a valve rod passing through the same, andlongitudinally movable independently thereof, a valve through which therod passes, and a coupling-tube receiving the inner end of the rod, andconnected with the valve, substantially as set forth, and whereby thevalve-rod may be withdrawn from the tube and valve without disturbingthe same.

8. In a feeding device for blacking and other liquids, the combinationwith a sponge supporter, of a valve-rod passing through the same, andlongitudinally movable independently thereof, a cup-shaped valve havinga central hub, which is perforated for the passage through it of thevalve-rod, and means for connecting the inner end of the said rod withthe valve, substantially as set forth, and whereby the valve-rod may beremoved from the device without disturbing the Valve or tube.

9. In a feeding device for blacking and other liquids, the combinationwith a spongesupporter, of a valve-rod passing through the same, andlongitudinally movable independently thereof, a valve through which thevalve-rod passes, a coupling-tube connected .with the valve, andreceiving the inward thrust of the rod, a spring for maintaining thevalve upon its seat, and a sponge or equivalent absorbent body attachedto the projecting outer end of the valve-rod, and resting against theouter end of the sponge-supporter, substantially as described.

l0. In a feeding device for blacking and other liquids, the combinationwith a spongesupporter, of a valve-rod passing through the same andlongitudinally movable independently thereof, a valve through which thevalve-rod passes, connection between the rod and valve for lifting thelatter by the inward thrust of the former, and a valve-casing containingthe valve and the connection between the valve-rod and valve,substantially as described.

ll. In a feeding device for blacking and other liquids, the combinationwith a spongesupporter, of a valve-rod passing through the same andmovable independently thereof, a valve through which the valve-rodpasses, a coupling-tube havingits outer end connected with the valve,and its inner end impinged against by the inner end of the valve-rod,the inward thrust of which moves the tube and lifts the valve from itsseat, and a valve-casing affording a bearing for the inner end of thecoupling-tube, and containing the valve, substantially as described.

l2. In a feeding device for blacking and other liquids, the combinationwith a spongesupporter, of a valve-rod passing through the same, andlongitudinally movable independently thereof, a valve connection betweenthe inner end of the rod and the valve, whereby the same is lifted bythe inward thrust of the rod, a valve-casing containing the valve, andprovided at its outer end with an outwardly projecting flange by meansof which it is held in place, and a sponge or equivalent absorbent bod)Tattached to the projecting outer end of the valve-rod and resting uponthe spongesupporter, substantially as described.

13. Afeeding device for blacking and other liquids, having asponge-supporter, a valverod passing through the same, andlongitudinally movable independently thereof, a valve connection betweenthe inner end of the rod and the valve, a valvecasing containing thevalve, and having its outer end provided with an outwardly projectingflange resting against the sponge-supporter, a packing-washer betweenwhich and the sponge-supporter the said flange is interposed, a springlocated in the valve-casing'for holding the valve upon its seat, and acap iitting over the spongesupporter and engaging with the bottle orliquid receptacle for securing the feeding device thereto, substantiallyas described.

14. In a feeding device for blacking and other liquids, the combinationwith a spongesupporter having a yielding flaring mouth, a neck, and adisk-shaped body; of a cap constructed With an outwardly projecting hubor tubular bearingto fit around the neck of the sponge-supporter andover the body thereof, and adapted to be secured to a bottle or otherreceptacle, substantially as described.

SIGOURNEY WALES. Witnesses:

D. IND. NEUDORF, I-I. D. OBRIEN.

IOO

IIO

